Switch for door operators



May 27, 1930. .1. E. ANDESON 1,760,466

SWITCH FOR DOOR OPERATORS Filed Aug. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 27, 1930.

J. E, ANDERSON SWITCH FOR DQOR OPERATORS Filed Aug. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 27, 1930 mais JOHN E. ANDERSON, OF MINNEAPOLS, MINNESOTA swrron roninoon ornna'rons Thisinvention relates to a switch device i'or operating a door opening' and closing mechanism. As is now welllrnow, power driven or motor driven door operating mechanisms are vbeing used in a great many buildfor the doors through which `vehicles ,1. lt is desirable in suoli door operating mechanisms tol have a control means or actuating means `for the motor operated by the vehicles.

It is an object of this invention, therefore,

lto provide a simpleand eiiicient switch mechanism for a door operating device which is operated by the vehicles engaging means dr`- posed at either side of the door.

lt is a further object of the invention to "provide such a device comprising `vehicle operated meansdisposedV at a distance at either side of theA door, a switch member disposed adjacentthe plane of the doors` `and operating means such as shafts extending from said iirst mentioned means to said switch adapted to be operated bythe vehicle operating means and, in turn, to move or "operate said switch to start the motor to open or close the doors.

It is more specitically an object oiA the invention to provide a switch mechanism for a door operating device comprising vehicle operatedr means disposed at a distance at either side of the door andincluding depress iblemembers, revoluble switch disposed adliacent the plane of the doors, shafts arranged to rotate said switch extending adjacent said depressible members, means for rotating said shafts when said depressible members are depressed, means for holding said depressible members in depressed position, elevating' means for said members, and door operated means for permitting operation of said elevating means and 'releasing said depressible members." l

'lihese and other objects and advantages Aof the invention will. be fully set forth in the ollowing description.made in. connection with the accompanying drawingsin which hire reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the diiterent` views, and in which `Fig. 1 is aplan view of: the device showing Application filed ,August a, 19e?. sei-iai No. 210,333.

the door frame and a portion of the walls of the building in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 isa vertical section taken on the line Y 2-2 of lig. i, as indicated by the arrows and shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of the switch memi ber used;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the linee-5 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

i `Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the lino `6 6 of Fig; 5, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a verticalsection taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, as indicatet by the arrows; and

Fig. 8 isa view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7, as seen from the left thereof.

Referring to the dra-wings, a portion of a building is shown including the walls 10 and the door posts 10, Boers 11 illustrated as sliding doors will be mounted usual, on the door pests 1G and provided with some type oi motor driven door opening and closing meenam sm. Y

In accordance with the present invention. casings 12 are disposedin the driveway oi2 the bniliiling and thedriveway approaching the samepand while said casing may be of ariousforms, inthe embodiment of the inventionillustrated, they are shown of simple rectangular form having top members 1f with slots extending therethrough in which are vertically movable the members or bars 13. The tops oi' casing 12 are covered with flexible sheet material 14.1 extending over the tops of members 13 and secured at its edges to the top of the casing. The members V'13 have plates secured to their lower edges extending `beyond the ends of the slots in members 12;L to form stopslimiting the upward movement ofthe bars 13. =x The members 13 are moved upwardly by springs 16, and whileV these springs may be of various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated., they are shown as in the form of plate springs having free ends engaging the plate and secured at their other ends to locks 17 disposed in casings 12. The plates 15 engage substantially at their central portions With vertically movable plungers 18 having heads 18a at their upper ends. The

\ plungers 18 are disposed and guided for movement in chambers 19a of members 19 illustrated as substantially cylindrical in form and upstanding from base members 19n which are secured' in the bottom of casing 12. The plungers 18 have a tooth 18" projecting from one side thereof and moving in a slot 19c of the members 19, which tooth is disposed in the path of ratchet teeth V2Oa carried on a ratchet wheel 2() keyed to a shaft 21. A stop pawl 2Ob pivoted to member 19 alsoengages ratchet 20. The plunger 18 is provided on the side substantially at right angles to the side carrying tooth 19b with ratchet notches 18c which are adapted to be engaged `by the pawl arm 22 of a pawl lever 22 pivoted by a pivot 22c to upstanding lugs on base 19h, said lever normally being swung toward plunger 18 by the coil tension spring 23. The lever 22 has an outwardly projecting arm 22b adapted to be engaged at times and depressed by an arm-24 secured to a shaft 25 extending parallel to the shaft 21. Theplunger 18 is held toward the ratchet 20'by a sear spring 26 secured in one side of member 19 and said plunger is adapted to be elevated by a coiled compression spring 27 disposed in the lower part of member 19 having its lower end surrounding the screw or pin 28 upstanding from base 19 and receiving in its upper end a reduced projection 18d on the end of plunger 18. It will be understood that the mechanism described is disposed in each of the casings 12.

Each shaft 21 is connected by a universal joint 29 to a shaft 30 which shafts 30 eX- tend respectively through conduits 31, disposed below the surface of the driveways, which shafts 30 have universal joints 32 at their other end connecting them to a shaft '33. Each shaft 25 is connected by a universal joint 35 to a shaft 36 and said shafts 36 extend through conduits 37 disposed below the conduits 31 and are connected at their other ends by universal joints 38 to the ends of a shaft 39. The shafts 33 and 39 and the universal joints 32 and 38 are disposed in a pit 40 formed in the driveway substantially in the plane of the door posts 11 into which pit the ends of conduits 31 and 37 project as well as the ends of shafts 30 and 36. The shafts 33 and 39 are journaled in hubs of a bearin 41 secured Vtothe bottom of pit 40 and sha tV 33 'has secured thereto adjacent said bearing a 'revoluble switch member 42. This switch member, as shown in Figs. 2,' 3 and 4.' comprises a central hub having an insulating bushing 43 therein, Contact members 42a being Vshown as secured to a metal ring or hub 42d which surrounds said bushing 43, said Contact members extending radially outward therefrom to the periphery of member 42, said members 42a being shown as in the form of headed screws. 42b of member 42 is of insulating material and the periphery of member 42 is provided with spaced depressions or scallops 42?, the outer ends of members 42a being disposed in the bottoms of alternate depressions 42C. The periphery of member 42 is engaged by two pairs of contact members or brushes 44 and 45, and 44:L and 45a, respectively, having their ends formed with curved portions adapted to fit in the depressions 42C and to v engage the outer ends of members 42a, said arms 44 and 45 and 44a and 45 being secured, respectively, to blocks of insulating matcrial 46 and 46H. Conductors 47 and 48 and 47a and 48a are connected, respectively, to brushes 44 and 45 and 44a and 45;L and will form part of the circuit-s of the motor which operates the door opening and closing mechanism. Shaft 39 has an arm 49 secured thereto connected by a link 50 to the downwardly extending arm of a lever 51 mounted on a rod 52 journaled in the sides of pit 40, said lever 51 having an upwardly extending arm 51fL extending through a slot 53a of a plate 53 forming top of pit 40 and having its upper surface flush with the surface of the driveway. The arm 51L is adapted to be engaged by a plate 54 hinged and positioned in front of a recess 11a formed in the bottom of said door and covered by side plates 54a to the bottom of one of the doors 11. The lever 50 is normally moved to position to project arm 51a by a coiled spring 55.

In operation, assuming that the doors 11 are closed when a vehicle approaches the doors to pass therethrough, it will move so.

that the wheel thereof will run over one of the casings 12. This will depress the member 13 and the plunger 18. At the same time, the member 42 will be in position with the brushes 44u and 45'd in the recess 42e between a pair of members 42a. When the plunger 18 is depressed the tooth 18b will engage one of the teeth 20a of ratchet 2O and rotate ratchet wheel 2O and shaft 21 the distance of one tooth. As the plunger is depressed the pa wl 22a will engage one of the recesses 18C and hold the plunger in depressed position against the force of spring 27 which is compressed. The shaft 21 being turned, will 'ff" Such mechanisms commonly have a switch 7.

The body portion Elli y 1,760,1iee

which is operated by the doors when they come to open position for stopping the motor and positioning the switch so that the nent time the motor circuit is closed the motor will be run in a reverse direction. The doors will then remain open until the vehicle has passed therethrough and a wheel thereof run over the other casing 12. This will depress plunger 18 in the second casing 12 in the same manner and again turn shaft 21, and

through the connections described, the shaftJ 33. rlhis will again cause partial rotation of member 42 and brushes and 45? will be brought into depressions between the meinbers 42a. ris member 42 is thus partially rotated, brushes 44 and 45 will be brought into depressions into engagement with members 42a. As the doors reach open 1posidtion the switch controlled by the doors is moved to position to close the circuit comprising inembers 44 and 45 so that now, when these meinbers Vare connected through the members 42a and ring 43, this circuit will be closed. he motor will nowbe operated in reverse direction and the door opening mechanism will operate to close the doors. lhen the doors reach closed position, they will operate the switch (not shown) and open the circuit which was closed by brushes 44 and 45 and will close the circuit of brushes 44a and 45L at said switch so that the next time brushes 44a and 45EL are connected the motor will be again operated to open the doors. As the doors approach closed position the plate 54 which abut-s the ends of the plates 54a at the edge of the door engages arm 51a of lever 51 swings the same about pivot thus raising link and oscillating arm 49 and shaft 39. This oscillation of shaft 39 oscillates shafts 36 and thus shafts 25. The arms 24 carried by shaft 25 are swung down on top of the arms 22h of the levers 22 and the pawls 22a are withdrawn from engagement with notches 18C on the plungers 18. Said plungers are then elevated by the springs 28, thus restoring the parts in casings 12 to normal position. After the plate 54 has moved past the arm 51a the latter can swing back to normal position in the recess 11a and this action is brought about by spring 55 which .restores parts 51, 50, 49 and the shafts 3G with conn nected parts, to normal position. lt will thus be se'en that the door operating mechanism is controlled to open and close the doors bv the vehicles passing over the casings 12. This will relieve the garage or other operators `from necessity of pressing manually operated buttons or switches to open and close the doors for the vehicles;

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a very simple and ethcient switch mechanism particularly adapted for use with a door opening and closing mechanism. The device will have high degree of utility for the purpose intended and is simple and `efficient in structure `and operation.

It will, ofcourse, be understood, that various changesmay bel made in the form, details,

arrangement and proportions of. the parts without departing from the scopeof. appli- `cants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a deviceicapable ofcarrying out the combination, a casing disposed at eitherside of the door, a shaft for moving and operating a switch, shafts connected to said shaft and extending respectively to said casings, depressible means in' each casing adapted to be operated by a vehicle for rotating said `last mentioned shafts respectively, and rot-ating Ysaidrst mentioned shaft, means for holding' said depressible member 'in depressed position, a releasing shaft disposed adjacent said first mentioned shaft, a pair of shafts connected to said releasing 'shaftand extending re spectively to said' casings, releasing means for said depressible members connected respectively to said lasU mentioned shafts, and a door operated mechanism for operating said releasing shaft and said last mentioned shafts to release said depressible members.

2. A switch operating device for a door opening and closing mechanism having in combination, vehicle operated means spaced a distance at either side of said door andA comprising depressible means, means for .holding said depressible means in depressed position, shafts adapted respectively to be turned by said depressible means, a shaft disposed adjacent the plane of said door for rotating a switch, means connecting the ends of said latter shaft respectively to said first mentioiied shafts, means operated by said door for releasing` said depressible means,` and means for moving said depressible means to normal position.

3. A switch operating device for a door opening and closingl mechanism having in combination, vehicle operated 'means coinprising a depressible member, means for holding said depressible member in depressed position, a switch controlling shaft, means for connecting said depressible member and shaft for turning the latter when said member is depressed, a releasing shaft adjacent the plane of said door, a trip lever disposed in the path of said door and arranged to be actu ated by said door when moving to closed posit-ion, a link and arm connected respectively to said trip lever and releasing shaft for rotating the latter, releasing means for said first mentioned means, means connecting said releasing shaft and said releasing means, and means forrestoring said depressible member to normal position after being released.

CIJ

LA switch operating device for a door opening and closing mechanism having in combination, vehicle operated means disposed at either side of said door comprising a depressible means, a rotatable switch operating member adjacent' the plane of said door, means for holding said depressible means in depressed position, a releasing means for said last mentioned means, a door operated member connected to said releasing means for operating the same, and means for restoring said depressible means to normal position when released. c'

5. A switch operating device for a door opening and closing mechanism havingV in combination, a vehicle operated means disposed at either side of said door, shafts adapted to be turned by said vehicle operated means respectively, a second shaft adapted to carry a rotatable switch and means for connecting said first mentioned shafts and said second shaft whereby said second shaft is turned upon operation of either of said Vehicle operated means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN E. ANDERSON. 

